Can This Be Real or Is This Just a Dream?
by CaRiNeSs
Summary: ***Spoilers*** Another way I wish Season 8 would have ended. This is once again for the Mark and Lexie fans. I hope this leaves you with some contentment.


So I know I've said this in my other story but I HATED the way Season 8 ended. It just wasn't right... my head has been going through possible senarios that can make things better and here is another one that I've come up with. It's only a one shot but I hope you like it as well as the other one.

I own nothing... or Lexie would be alive...

This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine!

Please review!

* * *

Can This Be Real or Is This Just a Dream?

Mark sat up straight in bed, a cold sweat running down his bare chest and back. He clutched his arms together around his chest tightly trying keep it in once piece. He was terrified that if left his grip loosen just a little bit, he'd shatter into a million pieces that would be impossible to put back together.

He hadn't realized he was shaking until a warm hand was placed on his shoulder. He jerked away from the touch and nearly screamed at the feeling until he looked to his left and discovered Julia looking at him with concern. "Mark? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

He looked at her strangely, how could he be okay? Lexie was dead. The love of his life had died in a terrible plane crash and he would be forced to carry on without her. Shaking his head he managed to mumble the word "Lexie."

"What?" Julia was taken back by the name of another woman on her current lover's lips. "What about Lexie? What's going on Mark?"

"Lexie..." Mark's voice broken and he leaned over again.

At first Julia thought he was having a seizure until she realized that it was tears wracking his body. She leaned forward again to try and console the man but he jumped up at her touch. "Don't touch me. I can't... Lexie..."

"What are you talking about Mark, you aren't making any sense?" Julia tried again, holding her hands up as if he were a wounded animal that she was trying to appease.

"Lexie's dead..." he managed to get out amongst the tears. Julia had never seen the man before her in such an awful state.

"What do you mean Lexie is dead? We saw her at the hospital just a few hours ago." Julia tried to console the man without touching him for fear she would make the situation worse. "She's fine."

Mark shook his head, "no, she died. I saw her die. The plane landed on her and crushed her and I couldn't help her. She was dead. I loved her but it was too late. She died before I could tell her. Now I will never get to tell her I love her."

That stopped Julia in her tracks, "you...you love her?" She had known they had had a past relationship. She had also known that Mark had tried to move on and as far as she had known he was succeeding.

Marked whipped the sweat from his brow, trying to catch his breath. His heart was on fire but something that passed over the woman's face in front of him managed to chip off a little piece in its own right. He hadn't meant to tell Julia he was in love with Lexie, it had just slipped out but now he couldn't and wouldn't take it back. He had to do what was right. He might not ever see Lexie alive again but he could at least live out his life with respect to her and their relationship.

"I do. I do so much and no matter how much I tried to move on I couldn't. And now she is gone and I just can't do this anymore. I'm sorry Julia but she has my heart. I tried but somehow I never got it back. I wish..." Mark broke off.

"You wish what?" Julia was curious as to how this was going to play out. She wasn't quite sure what was going on but part of her wished he would say that he wished he could love her.

"I wish it had been me. I wish I had died in that plane crash instead of her. It should have been me." He was whipping at the tears that had shown back up in his eyes. She had never seen him cry but something about it was tearing her heart out.

"Mark...there was no plane crash... Lexie is perfectly fine." Julia tried again, part of her wanting so desperately to comfort the man she had come to love. She was hurt that he would obviously rather die for Lexie than be with her but she could deal. It was obvious now what she had been missing for months.

"No, she's dead. She died...there was a plane crash on our way to Boise and she didn't make it."

Julia sighed, "no Mark, there was really no crash. Come on," she held her hand out to him. "I will take you to see Lexie." It was one of the hardest things she ever had to do but staring into Mark Sloan's eyes told her it was her only option. He needed to see for himself that Lexie was alive and well.

He wanted to believe her, he really did but he didn't know how what she was saying could be possible. He had been there. Clear as day, he had watched the love of his life die while he had stood by and done nothing to save her.

"Come on," Julia prodded again. She handed Mark his shoes and a hoodie while she grabbed her shoes and purse. Then she walked him towards the door and into her car. He had stopped talking, obviously thinking about what she was telling him.

Mark wrapped the words around in his mind, Lexie is alive, but somehow they didn't make sense. He closed his eyes and paid little attention as Julia drove towards the Shepard/Grey household.

Before he was really aware of what was happening, Julia had opened the passenger side door and pulled him out by the arm. She then walked him up to the door and rang the doorbell.

A sleeping looking Derek answered only minutes later wearing flannel pajama pants and white socks. "What's going on?" he sleepily stirred his words, upset at being dragged out of bed at 3AM.

His friends voice brought Mark out of his catatonic state. "Derek?"

"What?" Derek looked at his friend, only just realizing something was wrong. "What's going on?"

Mark grabbed his arms and looked at them. No scars were visible on either wrist and it looked as though they were in perfect condition. "The plane, your hands, you broke your wrist and almost lost it..."

"He isn't making much sense." Derek turned to Julia, "do you know what he's talking about? Did he hit his head." Derek reached towards Mark to check his skull for fractures but Julia shook her head.

"He woke up like that...in a cold sweat. Swearing that Lexie had died in a plane crash and how he'd never told her he loved her."

Derek turned back to Mark, "Lexie is fine Mark. She's upstairs asleep."

About that time, Lexie made her way into the entry way and paused when she saw Mark and Julia standing at the door. "What's going on?"

"Lexie?" Mark's voice cracked at the vision of her before him.

Aware of the distress in his voice, Lexie stepped forward. "What's wrong? What's going on Mark? Are you..." Before she could finish her sentence, Mark had taken her face between his palms and pressed his lips on hers.

She began to pull back but stopped when she tasted the salt of his tears. She gently released him and looked up into his eyes. "What's wrong Mark?"

"You're alive? You are really alive?" He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug and refused to let go.

"Why wouldn't I be alive?" Lexie asked, concern and question lacing her voice as she hugged him back. She wasn't sure what was going on or why he was here kissing her while Julia looked on from the front door.

"He had a dream that we'd been in a plane crash and you died." Derek stated, attempting to clarify what he thought was going on.

Mark reached over and pulled Derek into the hug. "My best friend and my girl. I love you both so much." He confessed as he held them as tight as he could.

Julia looked on, realizing she was no longer needed. "I think I will just..." just nodded towards the door as she met Mark's eyes. He wanted to go to her, he really did. He needed to tell her thank you and that he was sorry but that he just couldn't be with her. Somehow the look he sent her portrayed that and so much more.

"I will talk to you later?" She asked, receiving a nod in return. She slowly pulled the door closed and walked away. She had lost him. She was keenly aware of that fact. But somehow seeing him so destroyed over losing Lexie made her realize that maybe he wasn't hers to have anyway.

"I can't believe you are both okay. It was so real. We were on the plane to Boise and it crashed and you..." Mark pulled back to look Lexie in the eye, releasing his friend and facing her directly. "You died and all I wanted to do was die with you because I couldn't live in this world without you. I need you. You are all I think about. I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. And I am sorry I wasted so much time with you. I'm sorry I didn't sweep you off of your feet and kiss you senseless when you confessed how you felt about me. I'm so sorry Lexie. Please, please give me another chance. We belong together. We are meant to be together and I am tired of living my life without you."

Mark finished his speech, leaving Lexie dazed. She had been tossing and turning just moments before, wishing he was there to hold her and now he was here confessing his love to her.

The clapping of people behind them brought her back into the living room. Avery, Kepner and Meredith were standing on the staircase looking on with amazement at the speech Mark had finally given Lexie. "It's about damn time," Jackson replied, "now can we get some sleep?"

Derek nodded, "I'm happy you finally figured it out and that Lexie is still alive. I'm going to bed." He ushered up the remaining spectators as he trudged up the stairs pulling Meredith with him. "Thank God they didn't wake up Zola."

Mark turned back to Lexie, "I'm sorry. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Lexie smiled and took his hand, leading him back up to her room. "I've missed you so much."

Mark was grateful he hadn't lost her. It had taken a terrifying dream to wake him up to the reality that life was fragile. He obviously had forgotten since Sofia's stint in the hospital but he would never forget again. This time he was going to make it work, this time he was going to have his Little Grey and this time it would last forever.

He swept her up off her feet and carried her to her bedroom determined to show her just how much he loved her. There would be little sleep that night but he was okay with that. The thought of closing his eyes was too scary. He couldn't and wouldn't return to that nightmare of a world without his Lexie.

* * *

Plausible? Please let me know what you think!


End file.
